West Sacramento police investigate deaths of 2 girls, father

Mike TeSelle, KCRA

Published 1:12 pm, Tuesday, January 2, 2018

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A 47-year old man and two girls are dead in what appears to be a murder-suicide on New Year's Eve along West Capitol Avenue. West Sacramento police will only say that it's an active homicide investigation. Police responded to a suspicious car parked near the Casa Mobile Park about 10 p.m. Sunday. Inside, they found a man dead in the driver's seat and the two girls, West Sacramento police spokesman Roger Kinney said.

Media: KCRA

A 47-year old man and two girls are dead in what appears to be a murder-suicide on New Year's Eve along West Capitol Avenue.

West Sacramento police will only say that it's an active homicide investigation.

Police responded to a suspicious car parked near the Casa Mobile Park about 10 p.m. Sunday. Inside, they found a man dead in the driver's seat and the two girls, West Sacramento police spokesman Roger Kinney said.

The girls, ages 9 and 12, were rushed to the hospital, but did not survive. They were identified by a family friend as Sara and Sophia, whose last names KCRA 3 is not releasing at this time.

Sara, 9, and Sophia, 12, were found in a car on New Year’s Eve in West Sacramento. They were taken to the hospital where they later died.

Sara, 9, and Sophia, 12, were found in a car on New Year’s Eve in West Sacramento. They were taken to the hospital where they later died.

Sara, 9, and Sophia, 12, were found in a car on New Year’s Eve in West Sacramento. They were taken to the hospital where they later died.

Photo: Courtesy Photos

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Click through to see violent crimes reported by Bay Area cities in 2016, starting with the cities that reported the highest incidents of violent crime. Statistics from the FBI Uniform Crime Report for 2016.

Click through to see violent crimes reported by Bay Area cities in 2016, starting with the cities that reported the highest incidents of violent crime. Statistics from the FBI Uniform Crime Report for 2016.

"The fire department was out here (and tried) everything they could to save children, but when they got to hospital, we were told by one of our officers that they succumbed to their injuries," Kinney said.

Police believe the man in the front seat of the car was the father of the two children.

There were no gunshot or knife wounds on the children or the father, police said. The cause of death will be determined by an autopsy.

Police have been in contact with the girls' mother. She was not at the scene of the homicide investigation, Kinney said.

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"Yeah, incredibly sad. Coming up to the top of the year, when everyone looking forward to the new year, this is one event we don't want to report on," Kinney said. "I don't even want to be standing here talking about this. It's a horrific event, and it's very, very sad."

The family friend told KCRA 3 Sophia and Sara would hold bake sales and donate the money to area animal shelters

Sophia wanted to study math and science, hoping to travel the world and work for NASA. Sara was in the Girl Scouts and earned extra money on the weekends by helping at the preschool their mother worked at during the week.